McDONOUGH — The Henry County Board of Commissioners elected to shift Fred Auletta from county manager to finance director, along with other county personnel changes, at a special-called executive session Monday.

County officials said Auletta is expected to shift into the position of Finance Director immediately and will report directly to the Board of Commissioners.

“Fred will do an excellent job as Finance Director,” said Henry County Commission Chairman Tommy Smith, saying Auletta has an extensive finance and accounting background.

Planning & Zoning Services Division Director Michael Harris will serve as Interim County Manager until a County Manager is appointed.

According to a press release, Harris has been with the county since 1998 and he served as an Engineer in the Building Department. He was promoted to the Director of Development Plan Review in 2000.

“With Michael’s vast experience overseeing numerous different departments and divisions since he joined the county fifteen years ago, the county will be in very capable hands over these next few months as the county moves forward with the national search for a permanent County Manager,” Communications Director Julie Hoover-Ernst said.

The commissioners said they plan to use UGA’s Carl Vinson Institute of Government to assist with the search and selection process of a new county manager, but says the institute is “back logged” and is not expected to begin the process until September.

The commissioners said they expect to have a new county manager appointed by the beginning of 2014.

“Fred had asked to move to Finance several months ago, but was originally planning to wait until a new County Manager could be hired,” said Hoover-Ernst. “When it was learned that the Carl Vincent Institute would not be able to begin the search right away, it was decided that it would be best for Fred to go ahead and move to Finance and appoint Michael Harris Interim County Manager.”

Angie Sorrow, who has been filling in as Interim Finance Director since February, will also change positions. Sorrow was named Assistant Finance Director and Budget Analyst and will report directly to the BOC as Budget Analyst and to Finance Director Fred Auletta for payroll, accounting and accounts receivables.

Under Georgia state law, government agencies are permitted, but are not mandated to discuss prospective employees and personnel matters behind closed doors.

Agencies may interview prospective employees for the position of executive head of an agency, but is limited only to high level positions such as county manager and not lesser positions such as department head.